Sharps containers

ABSTRACT

When a syringe has been used, it can be entered, needle tip first, down into a spigot ( 10 ) until the skirt of the needle assembly plugs firmly into the spigot, being held by ribs ( 12 ). The capsule can then be worked free and removed. Thereupon, a cover ( 14 ) is rotated in either direction and one of a pair of lugs ( 16 ) enters an adjacent slot ( 13 ) in the spigot ( 10 ). As the cover ( 14 ) is turned further, the lug ( 16 ) acts as a wedge and forces the needle assembly down. As the lug passes across the spigot ( 10 ), it finally presses the needle assembly clear, and that assembly drops into the main body of the container.

[0001] This invention relates to sharps containers. It is concerned withthose in which syringe needles are disposed.

[0002] A medical syringe has a tubular capsule with a plunger operablefrom its rear end and a head at its forward end to receive a needleassembly. The needle is double-ended, the rear end being co-axial withina skirt that retentively fits over the head. As the assembly is matedwith the capsule, the rear end of the needle pierces a membrane acrossthe top of the head and enters the dose contained in the capsule. Afteruse, the needle has to be disposed of into a sharps bin, ideally withoutany need for the user to touch the needle assembly.

[0003] These needles are usually supplied in a disposable sterilecontainer which has internal ribs to grip the skirt whilst it is beingscrewed to the syringe. It is therefore possible to apply quite a largetightening torque. But if after use of the syringe the needle containerhas already been lost or discarded, it can be difficult or impossible toremove the needle without using a tool.

[0004] It is the aim of this invention to adapt a sharps bin, which isgoing to be needed in any event, so that it can provide such a tool andstreamline the operation of removing and safely concealing a usedneedle.

[0005] According to the present invention there is provided a sharpscontainer having a captive cover movable between positions opening andclosing an aperture which can be plugged by the skirt of a needleassembly of the kind described, the aperture having a lateral openingthrough which a wedge element on the underside of the cover can pass totraverse the aperture as the cover is moved to the closing position andthereby urge a needle assembly plugged into the aperture down in to thecontainer.

[0006] Conveniently, the cover movement will be rotary, the aperturebeing offset from the axis of rotation. There may then be two opposedlateral openings at the same radius from that axis and two opposed wedgeelements so that each element can pass completely across the aperture.It then does not matter which way the cover is turned.

[0007] For a better understanding of the invention one embodiment willnow be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

[0008]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a sharps container,

[0009]FIG. 2 is a section on the line II-II of FIG. 1, and

[0010]FIG. 3 is a section to an enlarged scale on the line III-III ofFIG. 1.

[0011] The container has a cup-like main body 1, only the upper partbeing shown, with an outwardly projecting annular rim 2 around itsmouth. A lid 3 is made captive to this by its hooked annular flange 4being snap fitted on using the inclined outer face of the rim 2. The lid3 is a complex structure and not a simple body of revolution.Immediately above the hooked annular flange 4 it steps inwardly andupwardly into a shallow cylindrical wall 5 and then develops into twodistinct formations. One of these is in the form of an inverted dish 6with a bite 7 out of its side, appearing in plan view as a partiallyeclipsed disc. Co-axial with the part-cylindrical wall of this formation6 and inset from it there is a deep narrow groove 8 opening at both endsinto the bite 7. Symmetrically positioned on the platform 9 created bythe bite 7, the other formation is an upstanding spigot 10, its mouthhaving a re-entrant skirt 11 with internal ribs 12. But the spigot isnot a complete cylindrical member; at diametrically opposite positions,on the same radius from the axis of the container as the radius of thegroove 8, there are vertical slots 13.

[0012] A cover 14 snap fits over this lid and bears on the top of theformation 6. In plan view it is similar to that formation, having anarcuate cut-out 15, so that it can rotate to expose the spigot 10 andthe surrounding platform 9. But on its underside, at the edge of thecut-out 15, there are two downwardly projecting triangular lugs 16 atthe same radius from the axis of the container as the groove 8 and theslots 13. These act as wedges as described below, and they can freelypass along the groove 8 as the cover is rotated.

[0013] When a syringe has been used, it can be entered needle tip firstdown into the spigot 10 until the skirt of the needle assembly plugsfirmly into the spigot. The cover 14 has of course first been turned toexpose it. With the skirt of the needle assembly held more firmly by theribs 12 than its grip on the capsule, the latter can be worked free andremoved. Thereupon, the cover 14 can be rotated in either direction andone of the lugs 16 enters the adjacent slot 13. As the cover 14 isturned further, the lug 16 acts as a wedge and forces the needleassembly down. As the lug passes across the spigot 10, it finallypresses the needle assembly clear, and that assembly drops into the mainbody 1 of the container.

[0014] Provision may be made for the cover 14 to be retained quitefirmly by snap action in a position closing off the spigot 10, which canremain concealed at all times except when actually being used.

[0015] While a rotary cover is perhaps the most convenient construction,it would be possible to have a cover that slides back and forthlinearly.

[0016] The purpose of having the spigot 10 upstanding on the platform 9and set apart from the formation 6 is to accommodate certain types ofinjection devices.

1. A sharps container having a captive cover movable between positionsopening and closing an aperture which can be plugged by the skirt of aneedle assembly of the kind described, the aperture having a lateralopening through which a wedge element on the underside of the cover canpass to traverse the aperture as the cover is moved to the closingposition and thereby urge a needle assembly plugged into the aperturedown in the container.
 2. A sharps container according to claim 1,wherein the cover movement is rotary, the aperture being offset from theaxis of rotation.
 3. A sharps container according to claim 2, whereinthere are two opposed lateral openings at the same radius from said axisand two opposed wedge elements so provided that each element can passcompletely across the aperture.
 4. A sharps container substantially asherein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
 5. Anynovel combination of features of a sharps container as described hereinand/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.